• The historic Grand Canyon Lodge on the North Rim was destroyed by the Dragon Bravo Fire.
• The lodge opened in 1937 and was the only hotel within the park’s North Rim boundaries.
• The fire, started by lightning on July 4, spread rapidly due to dry, windy conditions.

The historic Grand Canyon Lodge and dozens of other structures on the North Rim have been destroyed by the Dragon Bravo Fire, Grand Canyon National Park officials announced July 13.

The lodge opened in 1937 and was the only hotel located inside the national park’s boundaries on the North Rim. It was designated a National Historic Landmark in the 1980s. An earlier lodge that had a different design burned down in the 1930s.

Here’s what we know about the Grand Canyon Lodge and its history on the North Rim, which is visited by far fewer people each year than the more developed South Rim.

How many people visit the North Rim of the Grand Canyon each year?

The North Rim of the Grand Canyon is visited by only a small fraction of all park visitors, according to the National Park Service. Across the whole park, over 4.9 million people visited the Grand Canyon in 2024, the National Park Service reported.

In 2024, the North Rim saw 81,473 vehicle entrances, including employee entrances, according to National Park Service data. That was a 6.4% drop from the year before, according to the data.

The South Rim, in contrast, saw over 1.2 million vehicle entrances in 2024, according to National Park Service data.

The North Rim has not seen annual vehicle entrances over 100,000 since 2022. The North Rim’s busiest year on record was 1993, with over 148,000 vehicle entrances, according to the data.

The North Rim’s first lodge was built in the 1920s

The original North Rim lodge was built in part for the Union Pacific Railroad and opened in 1928, according to the National Park Service.

Architect Gilbert Stanley Underwood followed National Park Service guidelines that required buildings to represent their environment.

Its design included a second story and observation tower that were not part of the second lodge, according to the National Park Service.

It was known for having college student workers who acted as part-time entertainers for the lodge, regularly performing musical welcomes for new visitors, according to the National Park Service.

First lodge burned down in September 1932

In September 1932, a fire destroyed the lodge quickly, sending the lodge’s staff fleeing in the early morning hours, according to the National Park Service.

According to “Grand Canyon Rim to Rim History,” a book by Davy Crockett, the blaze started as a kitchen fire when a chef was preparing breakfast for employees.

Guests in adjoining cabins volunteered to help stop the spread of the flames, according to Crockett.

The Union Pacific Railroad quickly reestablished a cafeteria and recreation hall after the 1932 fire, according to the National Park Service.

North Rim lodge was rebuilt despite earlier fire

The rebuilt lodge opened in June 1937. It had a limestone façade that was sourced nearby, and massive ponderosa pine trees were turned into support beams to hold up a sloped roof capable of supporting heavy loads of snow, according to the National Park Service.

The new lodge sat on the foundation of the former and used many of the original’s materials.

The lodge complex consisted of a main lodge building with 23 deluxe cabins and over 90 regular cabins. It also included a saloon, a deli, a coffee shop, a post office, a gift shop, and a visitors center.

The lodge was known for its “sun room,” which greeted visitors with a view of the Canyon, according to the National Park Service.

Where is the Grand Canyon Lodge?

The Grand Canyon Lodge was considered the hidden gem of the North Rim, which is the more remote portion of Grand Canyon National Park.

The more developed South Rim has several historic structures, including El Tovar, a hotel that opened in 1905.

How did the fire that burned down the Grand Canyon Lodge start?

The lightning-caused Dragon Bravo Fire started on July 4. It grew, and evacuation orders were issued for the North Rim on July 11.

Hot, dry, and windy conditions fueled the fire’s growth, with flames spreading through mixed conifer, aspen, and ponderosa pine forests, according to InciWeb, a federal government wildfire tracker.

The fire had spread to 5,000 acres and was 0% contained as of July 13, according to InciWeb.

What will happen at the North Rim after the fire is extinguished?

Firefighters were working to extinguish the Dragon Bravo Fire. Park officials have not said when the North Rim would reopen or whether the area would be rebuilt.

Gov. Katie Hobbs questioned the handling of the fire and called for an investigation. Officials opted to manage the wildfire, which started July 4, as a controlled burn rather than immediately extinguish it.

Contact reporter Rey Covarrubias Jr. at [email protected]. Follow him on Instagram, X, Threads and Bluesky: @ReyCJrAZ.